Joeys take the honours

Cambodia U-16 starting XI. Back Row LtoR: Ravann, Mesa (capt), Sokheng, Dinarong, Chanpolin. Front Row: Sodavid, Senteang, Noeut, Ratana, Baraing, Titchhy - click to enlarge

The Cambodia U-16 national team went down 4-0 to their Australian counterparts in the opening Group A game of the AFF U-16 Aya Bank Championships in Naypyidaw, Myanmar earlier this afternoon. As expected the Australians were bigger in stature and began the match on the front foot, scoring the opening goal through Jackson Bandiera after just three minutes. They added a second from a corner which Cambodia should've dealt with better, Jamie Dimitroff netting on fourteen minutes. Bandiera scored his second after 33 minutes and that's how the score remained until the break, 3-nil to the Joeys. After the break Cambodia played the football they would've liked to have started with and were level pegging until injuries to Suon Noeut and Ouk Dinarong weakened the backline and Australia scored their fourth and final goal with six minutes left through Daniel Maskins. 
Cambodia U-16 line-up: Mesa, Noeut, Baraing, Titchhy, Dinarong (Sovann 68), Sodavid, Chanpolin, Ravan (Rozak 82), Sokheng (Ponvuthy 72), Ratana, Senteang. Subs not used: Samnang, Sokundara, Phearath, Muslim, Chansopheak, Piphop.

Cambodia's head coach Sam Schweingruber told the AFF website: "We were outplayed physically but we also made several mistakes which we should not have at this level." Australia's coach, Tony Vidmar commented: "I was happy with the performance in the first half. The second could have been a lot better, but we are satisfied with the result." In the second Group A match played today, Vietnam 
saw off the hosts Myanmar with a 4-0 success including a hat-trick for Bach Hong Han. For Cambodia, their second game will be against Brunei on Thursday as they look to repair the damage from their first outing.

The two teams line-up before the opening game today

Coach Sam Schweingruber speaks to his squad in the brand new changing rooms at the stadium